A year ago, I reviewed the Savage Model 11 Lightweight
Hunter in 7mm-08, a rifle that proved to be easy to carry, handsome and an
effortless MOA shooter. It is one of the most enjoyable hunting guns I own and
has since become one of my personal favorites. At the time, Savage V-P Brian
Herrick mentioned that the Lightweight Hunter and the newly introduced Hornady
6.5 Creedmoor cartridge made a superbly satisfying combination. It has taken me
about a year, but it is finally time to discover exactly what Mr. Herrick was
talking about.

The Savage Model 11 Lightweight Hunter platform relies on
standard 4140 chrome-moly steel, no exotic or temperamental metals to machine.
The folks at Savage looked at aggressive profiling of the receiver, a deeply
fluted bolt and removal of extraneous walnut from the stock to accomplish the
impressive weight reduction. Savage has categorized the Lightweight Hunter into
their “Specialty Series” lineup.

The modern classic style, standard grade, American black
walnut stock comes with a straight, fluted comb. It carries four panel, machine
cut checkering in a point pattern. There are eight ventilating/lightening slots
cut into the underside of the forend. There is a cap on the pistol grip and a
solid (not ventilated) recoil pad terminates the butt. Detachable sling swivel
studs are provided. Except for the slots cut into the bottom of the forend,
this stock is functional and should appeal to experienced hunters and shooters.

Specifications

SKU:
19204

Caliber:
6.5 CREEDMOOR

Magazine:
Detachable box

Cartridge
capacity: 4 rounds

Barreled
action: Matte black finished carbon steel

Barrel
length: 20"

Rate
of Twist: 1:8

Sights:
None; drilled and tapped for scope mounts

Stock:
Oil finished, checkered, American walnut

Weight:
5.5 lbs

Overall
length: 40.25"

2012 MSRP:
$899.00

I've had impressive results from the Hornady Superformance ammunition
line in general and the Hornady GMX bullet specifically, so I opted to test
with the Hornady 120 grain GMX Superformance load: a .450 G1 B.C. load Hornady rates
at 3010 fps MV from a 24" test barrel. You can expect perhaps 2900 fps
from the Savage's attenuated 20" barrel.

On went a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-10x40mm scope with Warne
Maxima medium height, quick release rings. Then it was off to the field to get
some shooting results.

At 100 yards, right out the box, on a breezy Illinois summer
afternoon, the Savage produced ¾", three-shot groups at 100 yards. After
the 100 yard shooting, the elevation knob on the scope was not touched. I only
turned the windage knob two 1/4 MOA clicks to the right. I shot at 177 yards
and then 205 yards, both to verify the accuracy at longer range and to get an
idea of how the 6.5 Creedmoor's exterior ballistics held up in terms of drop.

Shooting farther than two football fields seems like a long
distance, and it is. Although it might take a while to find the 205 yard target
across a bean field, I want “minute of coyote” level of accuracy at this
distance, a typical shot for coyotes running a fence row. Given the 8-10"
kill zone of a whitetail, the Savage Model 11 / 6.5 Creedmoor combo produced
much tighter groups than needed, about 1-3/4" CTC at 205 yards. Every shot
I took was in the instant kill zone, both impressive and confidence-inspiring
from a lightweight, sporter barreled rifle.

Hornady feels their new 6.5 Creedmoor is quite appropriate
for everything inclusive of moose and elk. Claiming almost 1600 ft. lbs. of
kinetic energy at 300 yards from a 24" barrel with a 140 grain bullet (SD
.287), I see no reason to disagree. (They are undoubtedly correct, as the
6.5x55mm SE has been doing it with virtually identical ballistics for
about 116 years! -Editor)

Launch a 140 grain spitzer bullet at 2700 fps, zeroed to put the bullet 2.7" above the
point of aim at 100 yards, and the maximum point blank range (+/- 3") is
about 265 yards. If you hold the crosswire of your scope level with the
animal's back, you can stretch the 6.5mm Creedmoor into a reasonable 300 yard hunting
cartridge. Ballistically, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is a 6.5x55 SE clone in a shorter but fatter case, as a glance at Hornady's published ballistics for both cartridges will verify.

On the functionality side, the Savage Accu-Trigger as supplied
broke at a crisp 3.2 pounds. This is close to perfect for a hunting rifle and I
felt no need to adjust it. The Savage center-feed, detachable box magazine is
easy to load, locks into place easily and fed perfectly.

I'd characterize the recoil as moderate. It is a noisy load,
in part due to the 20" barrel. However, after shooting 60 rounds through
this rifle in a short time, I didn't feel like I had done a lot of shooting, despite
wearing just a thin shirt, as you might expect on an 85-degree July afternoon.
Brian Herrick was right, this gun and this cartridge combine to make for an immensely
satisfying combination.

My 84 years young father, perhaps still a bit delirious from
celebrating his 61st wedding anniversary, commented that hunting rifles don't need
to be nearly this accurate. Dad can stick with that one if he likes, but
whether shooting a long range coyote off a hedge row or dropping a 300 yard
pronghorn buck, it is highly desirable, confidence-inspiring and usable. If he
means there are scant little excuses for poor shot placement, well, yes . . .
Savage and Hornady have combined here to make excuses hard to find. The Savage
Model 11 Lightweight Hunter is an outstanding hunting rifle and I can't think
of any hunter who wouldn't enjoy carrying and using this firearm. Sometimes,
really good combinations find each other and this is one of those rare examples.